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III National Championship women’s volleyball team.

Longtime Coach Karla Wolters Announces Retirement Plans

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HOLLAND - Longtime Hope College softball coach Karla Wolters has announced her plans
to retire from the faculty and from coaching at the conclusion of the current school
year.

"It is with bittersweet feelings that I announce my retirement at the end of the 2009-10
school year," Wolters said. "I have truly enjoyed living my dream of working for my
alma mater. The students, staff, colleagues and administration have blessed my life
with wonderful memories and I will treasure their friendship forever. I look forwardwith great anticipation to this school year and to what the Lord has in store for
me after my career in education is over."

Wolters has coached collegiate athletics for 36 years, the past 22 years at the helm
of the Flying Dutch softball team. She holds the academic rank of professor of kinesiology.

"Karla's service to Hope College as an outstanding teacher, coach,scholar and mentor will long be remembered," said Dr. Mark Northuis,chair of the department of kinesiology. "She has supported the missionof the college by investing in the lives of young people on a dailybasis as they seek to become effective and caring physical educators.Her versatility as a coach is reflected not only in her numerous winsin several sports, but also in the affectionate praise of herathletes."

Wolters has coached an amazing 1,754 athletic contests over 57 seasonsin softball, volleyball, basketball, field hockey and tennis. Herrecords by sport thru the 2008-09 school year are: softball (664-380),volleyball (375-194), field hockey (40-26-7), basketball (24-21) andtennis (14-9). She has coached teams with winning records in a season45 times compared to nine losing campaigns and three .500 marks.

Wolters has brought a new level of success to the Hope softballprogram. She has led the Flying Dutch to five NCAA Division IIItournament appearances (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2006). The 1991Flying Dutch finished third in the nation and the 1995 team tied forfifth. Wolters was named the Region softball coach of the year in1991, 1992 and 1995. The Hope staff was honored by the MIAA in 2006.Her career collegiate coaching record over 31 seasons is 664-380. Her22-year softball record at Hope is 495-302. She is ranked the fifthwinningest NCAA Division III coach all-time.

Wolters introduced the sport of korfball to Hope and western Michiganthrough a class she taught. In the fall of 2005 Hope entertained aKorfball team from Europe and the next summer a team comprised of Hopestudents and recent alumni traveled to Europe for a series of games.Wolters served on the governing board of USA Korfball and in 2007 wasan assistant coach on the USA team that competed in the WorldChampionships in The Czech Republic.

She has a passion for the history of sports and a special interest inthe history of the Olympics and women in sports. She enjoys sharingthis historical information and her collection of antique sportsequipment with her students and community members.

Wolters taught and coached for 13 years at Calvin. She led the Calvinsoftball team to seven conference championships from 1979-87 and tookCalvin to the NCAA Division III playoffs on four occasions(1983-84-85-87).

Wolters is a 1973 Hope College graduate. She was a standoutstudent-athlete during her undergraduate years playing in 13 varsitysports seasons and lettering in tennis, field hockey, basketball andvolleyball. She received the Master of Arts degree from Michigan StateUniversity in 1978.

In 1986 she was voted the NCAA Division III coach-of-the-year by theIntercollegiate Volleyball Coaches Association. She is among the mostsuccessful coaches in the history of the Michigan IntercollegiateAthletic Association with 20 conference championships in softball,volleyball and women's basketball.

Wolters and her husband Tom, also a Hope College graduate, reside inZeeland, Mich. Hope College in 2008 honored the Wolters by namingthe college's new softball stadium in their honor.